The Alter Ego Story

By Fred Farley - Unlimited Hydroplane Historian

Bob Schroeder's ALTER EGO was originally owned by Bob's close friend, the late Paul Sawyer.

Back in the early 1950s, Sawyer was the first driver to make it into the prestigious Gulf 100 Mile An Hour Club with a Limited hydroplane. He was hired to make his Unlimited debut at the 1953 Seattle Gold Cup with SLO-MO-SHUN IV.

Unfortunately, Paul was fired a few days before the race by owner Stan Sayres and replaced by Joe Taggart (who went on to win the race). Sawyer vowed to some day return and vindicate himself with an Unlimited of his own.

I first read about ALTER EGO in 1956. It was mentioned in the Seafair Program as being in preparation (by designer/builder Les Staudacher). In 1959, it was reported being close to completion. Around this time, Paul's wife became ill. He retired from racing and never realized his Unlimited Class ambition. The boat was placed in storage where it remained for many years.

Staudacher's workers, throughout the 1960s, would occasionally "tinker" with ALTER EGO when they were between projects.

Sawyer rejected all offers to buy ALTER EGO. He finally gave it to Schroeder because Bob was "like family." (Paul was in fact Bob Schroeder, Jr.'s godfather.)

Schroeder finally put the boat in the water in 1974 and ran it in a few races as the unnamed CU-22, powered by an Allison. It finished 8th at both Detroit, Michigan, and Dayton, Ohio.

In 1983, Schroeder loaned ALTER EGO to Jim Sedam who ran it as MISS TOSTI ASTI. This was the first Unlimited to be driven by Todd Yarling. Todd's best finish was a third in the Missouri Governor's Cup at Lake-of-the-Ozarks.

Over the last two decades, Schroeder has entered ALTER EGO in quite a few Antique Boat Shows and taken many people for rides in it. The boat was recently sold to a party in the Mid-West.